The Archbishop of Canterbury today made a call for unity to the Church of England's General Synod after the gay bishop row. Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent, left, reports from York University.

"The reception for Dr Rowan Williams was very positive. His audience gave him a one-minute standing ovation at the end of his speech, which I think he felt very relieved and pleased to receive.

"There was a great deal hanging on his first address as leader to the General Synod, the church's governing body.

"The important thing that the Archbishop can take from today is that he has established his authority and now has the broad acceptance to lead.

"The danger was that the evangelicals in the audience would have either booed him or walked out. Such a public display of dissent could have been enormously damaging.

"The Archbishop has been subjected to intense pressure in recent weeks from evangelicals in Britain and abroad over his handling of the Canon Jeffrey John affair.

"Many had been calling for his resignation after the row over the decision to appoint Canon John, an openly gay yet celibate priest, as Bishop of Reading.

"The evangelicals today may not have been among those standing to applaud the Archbishop, but they did applaud.

"Dr Williams has made a start in his quest to win these dissenting elements over. He is in a stronger position but today's speech was only a small step.

"The battle over the status of homosexuals has still to be fought; the Church is due to publish an official report into their status later this year.

"The General Synod is due to meet again in November and could debate the issue if the report is published by then. If it is not, the debate may wait until the next meeting in February.

"I think this debate will rage on, at times explosively, given how polarised opinions within the Church are on this issue. The jury is still out on whether it can find a compromise position that all elements would find acceptable.

"I think, however, that after this speech Dr Williams has a greater chance of leading the Church through this crisis in one piece."

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